Category: Android

Android apps on Chromebooks continues its slow march but has started entering into a second phase of sorts.  While support in general continues to new Chrome OS devices, those that already have the support are starting to see an update to Android Nougat 7.1.1.

If you recall, when Android apps started rolling out to Chrome OS, it was based on Android Marshmallow.  It worked well but you didn’t have the benefits like split-screen natively as you do in Nougat.  Now devices which have had the ability to run Android apps are starting to see an update to Nougat.

In the Stable channel, there are three Chromebooks that are supporting Android Apps, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1:

• Lenovo Chromebook Flex 11
• Samsung Chromebook Pro
• Acer Chromebook R 13

Keen followers of Chrome OS will know that these devices have had the ability to run Android apps for a while, in the case of the Samsung Chromebook Pro, since its release.  This update to their stable builds of Chrome OS will bring the Nougat update.

Last week, the Essential Phone, the PH-1, became available for both those who had pre-ordered as well as those who want to pick one up.  The unlocked variant of the phone is $699 through the Essentials site.  You can also purchase it through Amazon for the same price but orders placed at the online retailer won’t ship until September 1st.

While you are waiting for your PH-1 to arrive, you can at least have the benefit of the stock wallpapers that come with the phone on your current device.  Over on the wallpaper page, I’ve added all six of the default wallpapers for you to freely download and use on your devices.  I’ve also added them to this post after the break so those who want to move along can do so without having to download them.

The six wallpapers are a mix of scenic views and abstract images, all of which look great.

Google has begun rolling out an update to Google Contacts for Android that brings it to non-Google devices.  The update, version 2.1 for those keeping score at home, will allow users running Android Lollipop or later to install the app and use it as your contacts app on your phone.  Like many other Google apps, Contacts was limited to the Nexus and Pixel lineup to a large extent but Google has been relaxing this as of late.

If you have Google Contacts installed, the OTA update to this new version should be on your phone in the next few days.  For those who want to download it and have a compatible device, you can get it in the Play Store.

Along with the support for more devices, there are also some new features in this update.

This morning, Samsung announced the all new Galaxy Note8.  The new 6.3″ phablet has been one of the more anticipated phones of 2017 and fills the gap that was created with the recall of the Note7 last year.  Samsung has been hard at work, making sure the Note8 is tip-top in performance.

The 6.3″ device renders at 1440 x 2560 resolution with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.  Physically it is 162.5 x 74.6 x 8.6mm and weighs 195g.  In old money, that’s 6.39 x 2.9 x .34 inches and a weight of 6.87 ounces.   It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor here in the US while the international version will be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 processor.  Regardless of which version you get, it will have an eye watering 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.  That storage can be expanded up to 2TB thanks to the MicroSD slot.

Good news this morning for those of you who have a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus on the AT&T network.  A new update is rolling out for both devices that brings Google’s Daydream VR support to both phones.

The update for the Galaxy S8 is G950USQU1AQGL while for the S8 Plus, you will get update G955USQU1AQGL.  These updates not only bring support for the Virtual Reality solution from Google, but also brings the August Android Security update along with several other bug fixes and patches.

The good news:  Blackberry has confirmed that the KEYone will receive an update to Android Oreo, the latest version of Android released yesterday.

The bad news:  Absolutely no clue when it will happen, joining a slew of other manufactures who plan on but haven’t committed dates for the update.

Android Oreo started rolling out to Google devices yesterday (specifically, those who were registered in the Android Beta program) with a broader rollout happening “soon”.  Several manufactures including HTC, Huawei, Samsung and Sony have already said they will be coming out with update to Android 8.0 but they, like Blackberry, haven’t committed to a date.  That means it could be months away.